Move
by ladybonheur
Summary: Sequel to Free Fall. Ladybug finds her partner too still for her liking. Warning: major character death.


He was too still. That was when she realized there was something. Never mind that he had just been dropped twenty floors down, Chat Noir was never still. Ladybug, of all people, knew, as she had tried to get him to be countless times.

However, there was no time to think about that, as News Flash continued to try to hit her with sound waves. Ladybug barely avoided getting hit without letting go of her yoyo string and causing Chat Noir's fall to resume. Grunting, she cut her end of the string, wrapped it around a pipe, just tight enough to hold her partner, and shouted for Chat to climb up and help her.

In the end, there was no real need for help. Resorting to her Lucky Charm – _what am I going to do with a bike helmet_ –, Ladybug was able to defeat the villain rather quickly and use the Miraculous Cleansing Light to restore everything to normal. She exchanged a few words with the now de-akumatized radio announcer, who was more than happy to run back home, and glanced around in search for her partner. It was not like Chat Noir to leave everything to her. Could it be that his powers had run out? He had used Cataclysm not long before the fall, she could have sworn he had more time.

Ladybug walked to the edge of the terrace where she had left the string wrapped up and looked down. Chat Noir was still there, in the same position she had left him. The girl's heart started to race. Something was wrong.

Gathering all of her strength, Ladybug hauled her partner up and picked him up to the terrace. During the entire operation, he did not move an inch, did not open his eyes. Only after taking a closer look at him did Ladybug realize: he was not breathing.

Her knees gave up almost instantly, but she barely registered the pain when they hit the floor. She still held Chat Noir, checking for a pulse, calling his name, looking around for an explanation – any explanation.

All was healed. All effects from the akuma attack should have been wiped from existence, everything it had touched had been rebuilt as new – why wasn't Chat Noir? Why were his eyes not open, _why was he so still_?

The answer dangled in her hands. Because the villain had not done that. Because Chat Noir was still alive when he attacked. Her yoyo had snapped his neck. She had killed him.

With an enraged cry, Ladybug threw her weapon away as though it burned her hands.

Had she done nothing, had she let Chat Noir take the fall, would the miraculous cleansing have worked? Would he be now grinning at her, bragging about his nine lives, calling her his lady?

Her hands flew to her ears, covering them, trying to block all of those questions, the world. They kept coming. Ladybug shut her eyes, gritted her teeth, pulled her hair. It was a bad dream, the physical pain would remind her of it. It would wake her up. None of that was real, her partner, her best friend, he was alive and he would laugh at her for worrying so much, hug her and tell her he was not going anywhere, he would, any moment now.

The storm of thoughts was interrupted by the sound of a beep. Ladybug's eyes snapped wide open. That had not come from her earrings.

Ladybug's mind raced in panic as Chat Noir's transformation began to wear off. She was not prepared to know, that was not how that was supposed to happen. He had to wake up, he had to run off, he had to call her his lady just one last time…

The black mask faded in the green light, only to reveal a face she knew too well.

Ladybug's mouth hung open. She tried to scream, to howl in pain so that all of the city would be engulfed by it. The weak sound that left her throat barely scratched the air. For a moment in that night, Paris fell into silence. That was more painful than any scream.

* * *

It took three calls for the officers to understand that, yes, there had been people wounded by the akuma attack, no, they were not already in the hospital, and yes, their help would be highly appreciated. It was exceptionally uncommon for them to be called in these kinds of situations, as they were, by a tacit agreement, under the jurisdiction of Paris' masked duo. Still, duty could not be ignored – not after three calls, the ringing phone was starting to become annoying. Half a dozen of officers were then selected and dispatched to the indicated area.

When they arrived at the top of the building, there were no signs of the conflict that had ended about one hour earlier, a gift from Ladybug's miraculous healing powers. They almost thought there had been a mistake when they sighted a girl sitting down at the other end of the terrace. One of the officers called out, inquiring if she was hurt.

The girl did not raise her head nor gave any sign that she acknowledged the officers' presence. As they stepped closer, they saw that the girl was not alone. In her arms, there lied a boy with golden hair. His eyes were closed and a small smile played on his lips, an expression as peaceful as that of a child having the most wonderful dream. The girl's fingers were wrapped around his head and torso, in a gentle but firm grip. She clutched him close, as though he were the last link between her and the entire world.

When the cops tried to ask her what had happened, her body, so still before, trembled. The only sounds that left her were sobs.

Agent Roger, one of the officers who had been assigned to that duty, suddenly recognized the girl.

"I know her- she goes to my daughter's school! Someone call Tom Dupain!"

The terrace was promptly filled with the sound of dialing phones and hushed voices. Call the bakery, call an ambulance – _I know that boy too! Oh heavens_ –, call the Agreste manor.

Marinette merely continued to sob, oblivious to any presence other than Adrien's. None of the officers attempted to get any more answers out of her. They knew, even if no one told them. They knew that there were some things even Ladybug and Chat Noir could not save.


End file.
